Large round bales weighing 1500 to 3000 pounds are commonplace in American agriculture. These bales have the ability to withstand the affects of weather and can be stored in an unsheltered location. However, the outer few inches of the bales do suffer from spoilage, and under ideal conditions, the bales should be kept out of the weather.
Efforts have been made to wrap such bales in a layer of plastic or the like. Reference is made to devices such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,112 issued Nov. 6, 1979. However, such devices have not proven to be feasible because it is very difficult to control a layer of plastic material as it departs from a roll. The plastic has a tendency to adhere to the roll and to resist separation therefrom; and the layer of plastic departing from the roll is subject to adverse movement from wind drafts and the like. Cutting of the plastic material after the wrapping operation has taken place has also presented a problem.